UNLV head coach Dan Mullen said he knew exactly what the Rebels were getting when they signed former Virginia starting quarterback Anthony Colandrea.
“It’s not like he’s a first-time starter coming in,” Mullen said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “Even though it’s a new system, he’s a little bit of an older, veteran guy.”
Colandrea was one of two quarterbacks UNLV plucked out of the transfer portal this year. The other one was former Michigan backup Alex Orji, who has a cannon for an arm and the athleticism to burn teams with his legs.
Colandrea is a veteran with 17 starts, and that experience has shown on the field. He is the Rebels’ starter heading into a home game against UCLA on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network).
The junior has been decisive and efficient with the ball. He hasn’t taken unnecessary sacks or thrown into traffic in a panic. He’s completing 77.3% of his passes and has thrown for 444 yards and three touchdowns with one interception through the first two games of the season. He’s also shown he can make every throw needed, including a pinpoint strike to the back corner of the end zone on a touchdown pass to DeAngelo Irvin Jr. against Sam Houston.
Colandrea has also done damage with his legs. He’s made smart choices about when to scramble, and he’s currently No. 2 on the team with 116 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
He threw too many interceptions during his time at Virginia (20 in two seasons), but he seems to be protecting the ball better so far at UNLV. Mullen said that’s because he already has a strong understanding of the Rebels’ system.
“He picked it up fast,” Mullen said. “A lot of help has come from the multiplicity shown by our defense (in practice), but he has done a good job of executing.”
UCLA-UNLV Betting Odds
UCLA is a 2.5-point college football betting odds favorite, according to BetMGM, and the Over/Under is 54.5 points. The moneyline is at -140 for UCLA and +115 for UNLV.
Orji Is A ‘Tebow-esque Leader’
Orji is the Rebels’ change-of-pace guy, who will be on the field in specific packages and short-yardage situations. But make no mistake, Mullen said he will be part of the game plan every week.
Mullen actually said on Monday that he wanted to get Orji on the field more against Sam Houston, but the Rebels only managed 56 plays on offense and getting him more snaps just didn’t work in the flow of the game.
Mullen said Orji has a monumental role to play for the Rebels as a leader, even if he isn’t the one taking the snap every play. Mullen recalled trying to apologize to Orji for not getting him more playing time against the Bearkats and said the quarterback’s response left him astonished.
“All I care about is winning,” Mullen recalled him saying. “Whatever it takes for us to win. If you want me to play 70 plays or you want me to play one, you just tell me what we’ve got to do to win and we’ll go do it.”
Mullen has mentored plenty of talented quarterbacks during his career, including Alex Smith, Dak Prescott, and Kyle Trask. But the quarterback he said Orji reminds him of the most is Tim Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner who led Florida to two national championships.
Tebow was never the most technically proficient quarterback, but his work ethic made him a leader players wanted to follow. Orji’s mentality is very similar, Mullen said.
“He’s on our leadership committee, and there’s a reason he was a game captain,” Mullen said. “What he brings to the program every day is so special.”
